Conveyer flight



Patented Oct. 15, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ooNvEYER FLIGHTBenjamin ElV Sivyer, ,Whitefish` Bay; Wis.\,assignor. to. Chain BeltCompany, Milwaukee, Wis., aA corporation of WisconsinAApplication-December26, 1944, serialno. 5691,82-2

This invention relates to improvements in; con-- to provide a nightwhich will direct the forces` exerted against the conveyingA portion ofthe flight to the chain link itself thus eliminating any shearing actiononl a holding instrumentality; fourth, t`o` provide a flight one-half ofwhich maybe removed while the other half-is capable of'use with a simpleattachment means;

and, fth, to provide a flight capable of easy" manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention are' accomplished by anarrangementv of`` elements;

one embodiment ofT which is shown in the acV companying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a conveyer chain with flights attached;Figure 2 is a side View of a conveyerA link with flight membersattached; Figure 3 isa plan View ofa portion of a conveyerchain; partsbeing shown in section, with oneI section of the flight assembled andtheother sectionbeing" pivoted into place; Figure 4 is av sectiononline-4 4 of FigureZ; and Figure 5 isa perspeceY 7 Claims.v (Cl.1984-176) tive' view of one section of the flight,.the end` of' thechannel bar being broken away.

In the drawing wherein similar numerals refer" to similar partsthroughout the views; the nu'- Ineral II designates the nightV linkwhich may take various forms, but as illustratedherein consists of aunitary bar with an oblong slot extending substantially the' full lengththereof, with two spaced upright struts I2 and I3 forming eyelets forthe rivets connecting the adjacent links. The adjacent links consist ofside bars I4 which overlap the link II and are pivotally connectedthereto by a rivet I5 which may be locked in the side bars againstturning, the rivets finding a bearing seat in the curved portion I6 atthe ends of eyelets adjacent the oblong slot. With this construction,the alternate block and side bar links may be connected to form anendless chain, Which is trained over sprockets for propulsion, and theflights as hereinafter described attached to the links with the spacingdesired. While the invention is not limited in its use to thispartitular Chain, the cnam shown is; very weuzsuited to the inventionand hence its illustration inlthe drawing. l

A crossimember I1 serves' as the conveying por-- tion of one-halfaflight. It is formed'ofa channel shaped member and can be of any sizeoor.l` responding to the need' of' the conveyer system.

"Extending perpendicularly from the re'ar sidev of the web of crossmember' I'I' with its top surface The lug20 andl recess I9 are soarranged that the curved portion ofthe projection may be insertedthrough the space between the `struts I2 and I3" of the'attachment linkand the lug 20 brought to kbear against one side of the forward strutI2,.Whi1e` the abutment 2I adjacent the recess I9 bears against theopposite side of the rear` strutv I3. The flight'is inserted through theopening in the link While at an acute angle thereto and then turned' asindicated by the" arrow in Figure 3 to' itsjfial transverse position.

A similar halfiiight is employed on the other ide of the-'link` with aprojection overlappingthatof` the-projection I8'y described above, Thehalf'flig'ht's" maybe identical in which case one is turnedehdfor. endprior to insertion through the link, and., sin'oethe iins` G3 are on oneside of themcentier of" the iiight face, they" may overlapl V,and thefaces of the flight' halves be in alignment onzeitherside'of thelink.

The 'web' ofrthe cross member I1 is recessed" at' 2.2 to permit thelooking lug. 20' to freely pass through and engage the` side` of thestrut4 I2V as` previously described.` This also makes it possible.

to extendthemateria-lengagingtace ot thechannelto a positionV closelyadjacentr the linie.

The projections on the two half flights arek stock one type, making foreconomy, ease of manufacture and simplicity in replacement.

Also it will be noted that the forces exerted against the face of theconveying member are transmitted to the sides of the` chain link, wherethey are divided and brought into opposition with themselves and made tobear on the sides of the chain link, i. e., a couple being formed thussecures the night while the conveyer is in operation. There is noshearing action on the holding instrumentalities 25 and 26 because theapertures through which they extend have suincient clearance to preventlateral contact between the sides of the aperture in the projections andthe holding instrumentalities'.

There may be instances where it is desirable not to employ a flightextending transversely on a either side of the chain, but rather tor usea night extending from one side only. In order tofacilitate the use of aone-half night, a filler piece with apertures placed to cooperate withthe apertures in the flight half should be inserted between theprojecting element of the night half and the remaining opening in thechain link. Such a nller piece may embody lugs for locking against thechain link, or may take other forms.

An advantage of the construction hereinabove described is that there isno shearing action on any pin, bolt or similar device, for the forcesexerted by the material in the conveyer trough against the conveyingportion of the night are directed by a lever action to the sides of theconveyer chain; also the couple established by the opposition of the lugand recess holds the night securely in place.

Another distinct advantage is that the nights can be attached to astandard chain without special devices or links. Thus, withoutdisconnecting the chain links, cross nights can be very simply removed,new nights can be added, night positions can be changed and old ones canbe removed with a minimum of delay and effort.

The invention having been described what i's claimed is:

l. A conveyer flight half having a material engaging face and aprojection extending therefrom for insertion through a chain link, saidprojection having at least two opposite abutting surfaces disposed toengage opposite sides of the link when the projection is inserted in thelink, whereby said opposite abutting surfaces may be positioned againstthe link, so that force exerted against the face of the night half willretain the night half on the link.

2. In combination a chain link -having an ap' erture extendingtherethrough, a conveyer night having a material engaging face extendingfrom one side of the link, said night having a projection extendingthrough the aperture in the link, opposed means on the projectionengaging opposite sides of the link whereby force exerted n the nightface acts through each of said means to cause the flightA to be seatedagainst the link and means holding the night against movement from thelink when force is relieved from the night face.

3. A conveyer night for use with a conveyer chain having an aperturedlink, said night comprising flight halves each night half having amaterial engaging face disposed on one side of said linkland aprojection extending from said material engaging face through theaperture in said link, the projections on said night halves havinginstrumentalities for engaging opposite sides of the link to create acouple when force is applied on the flight faces, and means locking thenight halves against forces other than those exerted on the flightfaces.

4. A conveyer night as specified in claim 3 in which each of thematerial engaging faces comprises a channel shaped member having the endnearest the link notched to accoinmodate that portion of the projectionon the other night half which extends through the link and bears on theadjacent side of the link.

5. In a conveyer comprising a chain having an apertured chain link,flight halves each having a material engaging face and a projectionarranged to extend through the aperture in the link, said projectionsoverlapping, means 'securing the projections together and means formedon said projections for transmitting forces in opposed relationshipdirectly from the night faces to the link while relieving said securingmeans of all such forces.

6. A conveyer night for use with an apertured chain link, having aprojection extending therefrom, said projection having a hooked end witha notch-like angular recess terminating at one end in an abutment on therearward side of said projection, and an abutment on the forward side ofthe projection, whereby when the hooked portion of the projection isinserted Athrough the aperture in the chain link, the nrst namedabutment may engage one side of the chain link, and the second namedabutment may engage the opposite side of the-link to seat the nightfirmly against the link.

'7. A conveyer night for attachment to an apertured chain link, saidnight having a material engaging face and a nn extending transverselyfrom the rear of said face, one side of said nn being alignedsubstantially with the center of said face, and said nn having a hookedend por-l tion with an abutment at the terminus of said hooked endportion and an opposed abutment placed at the start of said hooked endportion, said abutments being adapted to bear against opposite sides ofsaid link for the purpose of establishing a couple with the link whenthe hooked end portion is inserted through the aperture in the link.

BENJAMIN E. SIVYER.

